1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for connecting short-range wireless communication in a terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a short-range wireless communication connection method and apparatus, by which a terminal can provide information about other connectable external devices selectable by the user, after it is connected to a specific external device by short-range wireless communication.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wi-Fi Hotspot network access technology, a short-range wireless access technology, will soon be commercialized. A typical example of this technology is Hotspot 2.0, in which a terminal capable of Wi-Fi communication can more easily access a public Wi-Fi network without the separate user's input.
FIG. 1 illustrates a configuration of a Wi-Fi Hotspot network system, and more particularly, illustrates a system configuration for new Wi-Fi Hotspot network access according to the related art.
This system uses a separate network discovery method in which a terminal 10 can acquire external network information, and also has a separate information server 20 that manages and stores the external network information.
For example, a Hotspot 2.0 system, a typical example of the above system, has an Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) for network discovery, and also has an ANQP server for the information server.
Conventionally, in order to access an Access Point (AP) in a Wi-Fi Hotspot network, a user must check a list of APs using a Scan list, and determine whether a certain AP is an accessible or connectable AP, using the list of APs; in order to access a desired AP, the user must perform a connection settings task. The related art connection settings task performed to select an AP using the Scan list and to access the selected AP includes dropping the usability or ease of use for users who are unfamiliar with the Wi-Fi features. To overcome these disadvantages, Hotspot 2.0 technology aims to provide the usability to terminals such as a cellular terminal.
The Hotspot 2.0 technology is based on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11u standard, and provides enhanced security by using Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2)-Enterprise security. In addition, Hotspot 2.0 technology provides a variety of other functions, such as providing a Data Off-loading function of the cellular network.
In the Hotspot 2.0 system, a terminal supports enhanced network discovery using the 802.11u-based ANQP. The enhanced network discovery operation using ANQP is advantageous in that, before its access to an AP, the terminal can check a variety of following information, in addition to the information that is acquired in the conventional scan process. Although the following information is provided in the current standard, the information can be further extended as a variety of use cases are developed.                3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Cellular Network Information        Network Access Identifier (NAI) Realm List        Roaming Consortium List        Domain Name list        Venue Name Information        Operator Friendly Name        Internet Protocol (IP) Address Type Availability information        Wide Area Network (WAN) Metrics        Connection Capability        Operating Class Indication        Network Authentication Type information        
A Homogeneous Extended Service Set Identifier (HESSID) uses one Media Access Control (MAC) address among Base Station Subsystem Identifiers (BSSIDs) of APs of a public network formed by a Hotspot service provider, and the HESSID is a globally unique value. A terminal may identify a service provider using the HESSID. In other words, the service provider has a single unique HESSID value. The HESSID is included in an interworking element of a beacon or a probe response sent by an AP.
In the Wi-Fi Hotspot network system illustrated in FIG. 1, each AP constituting a Base Station Subsystem (BSS) may provide BSS link information to the terminal. For example, the terminal 10 may check beacon or probe response information by a scan operation, and BSS link information is contained in the beacon or probe response. As the BSS link information includes information such as a network load of BSS, channel utilization, and the number of connected terminals, the terminal may determine the current utilization and load of the BSS based on the information.
In the Wi-Fi Hotspot network system, the terminal 10 may acquire link information of the external network from the information server 20 by performing network discovery. Based on the link information, the terminal 10 may acquire information (down link speed & load, uplink speed & load, and the like) about the external network connected to the AP.
In addition, the terminal 10 may perform automatic connection without user involvement by acquiring, from the information server 20, information about a provider providing the Wi-Fi network, and connection information including a connection method for connecting with the Wi-Fi network.
FIG. 2 illustrates multiple Wi-Fi Hotspot network systems coexisting in the same area according to the related art.
Referring to FIG. 2, multiple new Wi-Fi Network systems (or Hotspot 2.0 systems) A and B, each having an information server outside its network, may coexist in the same area.
In this case, an AP capable of automatically connecting with the terminal 10 and an AP incapable of automatically connecting with the terminal 10 may coexist in the same area.
In the new Wi-Fi network system in which the terminal acquires network information from the information server connected to the AP and automatically connects with the AP, there is no specific provision that indicates with which Wi-Fi network and AP the terminal should connect if the above situation occurs.
Hotspot 2.0, a typical example of the above system, provides that the terminal 10 has different priorities for pre-configured networks. Further, the standard provides an option of allowing the user to adjust the priorities of the pre-configured networks.
In accordance with the specifications of the new system, the terminal 10 may be pre-specified so that the Wi-Fi network provided by a specific provider may have priority for the terminal 10. As to the way to give priority to a specific provider, the specific provider selected by the user may have priority, or the specific provider may be determined by a policy specified by the network operator.
Alternatively, the terminal 10 may select a network by calculating the highest quality at the connection time, and then automatically connect with the selected network. Therefore, in the situation of FIG. 2, the terminal is automatically connected to the Wi-Fi network A having the higher priority.
All of the above methods share the characteristic that the terminal is automatically connected based on the pre-specified priority or by the algorithm pre-defined in the terminal, without user intervention.
These ways to automatically connect with the network without user intervention may significantly contribute to an increase in the usability of the Wi-Fi features.
However, these automatic connection methods have disadvantages. For example, compared to the network to which the terminal is connected based on the priority, adjacent networks may have higher quality, and in certain areas, the user may want to use a network other than the network to which the terminal is connected based on the pre-specified priority. Even though the terminal may have connected to the best available network at the time of the first connection, the best network may be subject to change over time due to the user's movements or external factors. Sometimes, the user may want to use free networks rather than pay networks to which the terminal would be connected based on the priority.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.